Mental Health Matters

Mental health is not a destination, but a process. It’s about how you drive, not where you’re going.

– Noam Shpancer

Mental health is a state of being functional at a reasonable level of emotional, psychological and social well-being.  It impacts the way one feels, behaves and thinks in routine. Sound mental health influences your capacity of how well you cope with stress, how you overcome challenges, how you build your relationships and the way you reciprocate to life once setback.

Having strong mental health does not mean the absence of mental health issues. Being mentally healthy is much more than being free of stress, depression or other psychological issues rather mental health denotes the presence of positive characteristics.

Everyone goes through hardships or experience emotional problems. Not a single being on earth has problem-free life, only we had never stepped in their shoes, but everyone is fighting a battle others do not know about. All these disappointments, loss, emotional chaos are parts of life. These problems effect the mental health in the same way as any illness would affect the body. Having strong mental health would make it easier to bounce back to normal after trauma- being resilient.

Mentally healthy people stay equally flexible, focused and productive in good and bad times. They have more resilience hence less afraid of uncertain future. They have positive outlook even at the darkest horizon. Here are some lifestyle changes to help maintain sound mental health:

1. Have a health social setup around you. Connect to others face-to-face.
2. Break the monotony; routine makes you feel secure but a little change in it will perk up the boring and monotonous schedule.
3. Do keep a check on stress level by talking to a friendly face or simply by making time to appreciate what you have.
4. Eat mood boosters including nuts, fish rich in Omega-3, fresh fruits, leafy greens and avoid caffeine.
5. Find the meaning of life. Everyone has a unique meaning and purpose of their life that fits them. Biologically, finding the purpose is essential to brain; it helps in generating new cells and pathways. It also helps in pain alleviation, stress reduction and strengths the immune system. Finding a purpose keeps you striving to chase the steps to improve mental and emotional health. It is simply a reason that keeps you going, that makes you feel good about yourself. Viktor E. Frankl says, “The meaning of life is unique to each moment; no situation repeats itself. The meaning of life is unique to each individual; no one can be replaced.”

Having strong mental health requires one’s personal choices not a recipe copied from others.

 

by:  Marria Ghalib

Tags: Mental Health Matters

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